diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c
index e3e55d5e0be1..75eb6e0ee7b2 100644
--- a/fs/exec.c
+++ b/fs/exec.c
@@ -1308,8 +1308,6 @@ int begin_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
 	if (retval)
 		goto out_unlock;
 
-	if (me->flags & PF_KTHREAD)
-		free_kthread_struct(me);
 	me->flags &= ~(PF_RANDOMIZE | PF_FORKNOEXEC | PF_KTHREAD |
 					PF_NOFREEZE | PF_NO_SETAFFINITY);
 	flush_thread();
@@ -1955,6 +1953,10 @@ int kernel_execve(const char *kernel_filename,
 	int fd = AT_FDCWD;
 	int retval;
 
+	if (WARN_ON_ONCE((current->flags & PF_KTHREAD) &&
+			(current->worker_private)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	filename = getname_kernel(kernel_filename);
 	if (IS_ERR(filename))
 		return PTR_ERR(filename);
diff --git a/include/linux/sched/task.h b/include/linux/sched/task.h
index 719c9a6cac8d..4492266935dd 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/task.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/task.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct kernel_clone_args {
 	size_t set_tid_size;
 	int cgroup;
 	int io_thread;
+	int kthread;
 	struct cgroup *cgrp;
 	struct css_set *cset;
 };
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ struct task_struct *create_io_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, int node);
 struct task_struct *fork_idle(int);
 struct mm_struct *copy_init_mm(void);
 extern pid_t kernel_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, unsigned long flags);
+extern pid_t user_mode_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, unsigned long flags);
 extern long kernel_wait4(pid_t, int __user *, int, struct rusage *);
 int kernel_wait(pid_t pid, int *stat);
 
diff --git a/init/main.c b/init/main.c
index 98182c3c2c4b..39baac0211c6 100644
--- a/init/main.c
+++ b/init/main.c
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@ noinline void __ref rest_init(void)
 	 * the init task will end up wanting to create kthreads, which, if
 	 * we schedule it before we create kthreadd, will OOPS.
 	 */
-	pid = kernel_thread(kernel_init, NULL, CLONE_FS);
+	pid = user_mode_thread(kernel_init, NULL, CLONE_FS);
 	/*
 	 * Pin init on the boot CPU. Task migration is not properly working
 	 * until sched_init_smp() has been run. It will set the allowed
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 9796897560ab..27c5203750b4 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -2157,7 +2157,7 @@ static __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
 	p->io_context = NULL;
 	audit_set_context(p, NULL);
 	cgroup_fork(p);
-	if (p->flags & PF_KTHREAD) {
+	if (args->kthread) {
 		if (!set_kthread_struct(p))
 			goto bad_fork_cleanup_delayacct;
 	}
@@ -2548,7 +2548,8 @@ struct task_struct * __init fork_idle(int cpu)
 {
 	struct task_struct *task;
 	struct kernel_clone_args args = {
-		.flags = CLONE_VM,
+		.flags		= CLONE_VM,
+		.kthread	= 1,
 	};
 
 	task = copy_process(&init_struct_pid, 0, cpu_to_node(cpu), &args);
@@ -2679,6 +2680,23 @@ pid_t kernel_clone(struct kernel_clone_args *args)
  * Create a kernel thread.
  */
 pid_t kernel_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, unsigned long flags)
+{
+	struct kernel_clone_args args = {
+		.flags		= ((lower_32_bits(flags) | CLONE_VM |
+				    CLONE_UNTRACED) & ~CSIGNAL),
+		.exit_signal	= (lower_32_bits(flags) & CSIGNAL),
+		.stack		= (unsigned long)fn,
+		.stack_size	= (unsigned long)arg,
+		.kthread	= 1,
+	};
+
+	return kernel_clone(&args);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Create a user mode thread.
+ */
+pid_t user_mode_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, unsigned long flags)
 {
 	struct kernel_clone_args args = {
 		.flags		= ((lower_32_bits(flags) | CLONE_VM |
diff --git a/kernel/umh.c b/kernel/umh.c
index 36c123360ab8..b989736e8707 100644
--- a/kernel/umh.c
+++ b/kernel/umh.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ static void call_usermodehelper_exec_sync(struct subprocess_info *sub_info)
 
 	/* If SIGCLD is ignored do_wait won't populate the status. */
 	kernel_sigaction(SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL);
-	pid = kernel_thread(call_usermodehelper_exec_async, sub_info, SIGCHLD);
+	pid = user_mode_thread(call_usermodehelper_exec_async, sub_info, SIGCHLD);
 	if (pid < 0)
 		sub_info->retval = pid;
 	else
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ static void call_usermodehelper_exec_work(struct work_struct *work)
 		 * want to pollute current->children, and we need a parent
 		 * that always ignores SIGCHLD to ensure auto-reaping.
 		 */
-		pid = kernel_thread(call_usermodehelper_exec_async, sub_info,
-				    CLONE_PARENT | SIGCHLD);
+		pid = user_mode_thread(call_usermodehelper_exec_async, sub_info,
+				       CLONE_PARENT | SIGCHLD);
 		if (pid < 0) {
 			sub_info->retval = pid;
 			umh_complete(sub_info);